The shortest route to a man’s heart is through…

In theory, some Lucknow maulvi has issued a fatwa against “politically motivated” iftars. In practice, that is an edict that is meant to be violated flagrantly; the breaking of the fast at the end of the day during the holy month of Ramzan providing secular lubrication for the social intercourse that is so palpably lacking.

From the president to the prime minister, from Congress to the JDS, iftar parties are on in full swing across the country.

The former Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and his brother, H.D. Revanna, and their JDS colleague, P.G. R. Sindhia, do the honours at an iftar in Shivajinagar in Bangalore on Friday. The gentleman in the middle is the former Union civil aviation minister, the vachana-spouting C.M. Ibrahim.

None of those in the latter group can be called “handsome” in a physical sense, but what a start contrast the light of their mighty personalities affords to the sinful darkness exuded by these thugs’ mugs.

In practice, that is an edict that is meant to be violated flagrantly; the breaking of the fast at the end of the day during the holy month of Ramzan providing secular lubrication for the social intercourse that is so palpably lacking.

I believe that Deve Gowda and Revanna are saying nothing these days because they too are suffering from the kind of illness that plagued the Kumaraswamy couple until two days ago. I am also tempted to speculate on why Gowda begged Hegde to forgive his son.